Port Access Route Study: The Pacific Coast From Washington to California
| Published date | 29 July 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 40791 |
| Record Number | 2021-15923 |
| Section | Proposed rules |
| Court | Coast Guard |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40791-40793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15923]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Parts 166 and 167
[Docket No. USCG-2021-0345]
Port Access Route Study: The Pacific Coast From Washington to
California
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notification of study; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS)
to evaluate safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic
proceeding to or from ports or places along the western seaboard of the
United States and to determine whether a Shipping Safety Fairway
(``Fairway'') and/or routing measures should be established, adjusted
or modified. The PARS will evaluate the continued applicability of, and
the need for modifications to, current vessel routing measures. The
data gathered during this Pacific Coast PARS (PACPARS) may result in
the establishment of one or more new vessel routing measures,
modification of existing routing measures, or disestablishment of
existing routing measures off the Pacific Coast between Washington and
California. To assist us in conducting the PACPARS, we invite your
responses to questions in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. The
recommendations of the study may consider future rulemaking action or
potential international agreements.
DATES: Comments and related material must be received on or before
January 25, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2021-0345 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal https://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION section for further
instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notification of study, call or email LCDR Sara Conrad, Coast Guard
Pacific Area (PAC-54), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (510) 437-3813,
email [email protected] or Mr. Tyrone Conner, Eleventh Coast Guard
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (510) 437-2968, email
[email protected] or Mr. John Moriarty, Thirteenth Coast Guard
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (206) 220-7274, email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
U.S.C. United States Code
PAC Pacific Area Command
PARS Port Access Route Study
PACPARS Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone
[[Page 40792]]
RNA Regulated Navigation Areas
TSS Traffic Separation Scheme
II. Background, Purpose, and Legal Basis
A. Requirement for PARS: Under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act,
(PWSA) (46 U.S.C. 70003(c)(1)), the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall
designate necessary fairways \1\ and traffic separations schemes (TSSs)
to provide safe access routes for vessels proceeding to and from United
States ports. The designation of fairways and TSSs recognizes the
paramount right of navigation over all other uses in the designated
areas.
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\1\ Fairway or shipping safety fairway is a lane or corridor in
which no artificial island or fixed structure, whether temporary or
permanent, will be permitted. Temporary underwater obstacles may be
permitted under certain conditions described for specific areas.
Aids to navigation approved by the Coast Guard may be established in
a fairway. See 33 CFR 166.105(a).
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The PWSA requires the Coast Guard to conduct a PARS, i.e. a study
of potential traffic density and the need for safe access routes for
vessels, before establishing or adjusting fairways or TSSs. Through the
study process, we must coordinate with Federal, State, and foreign
state agencies (as appropriate) and consider the views of maritime
community representatives, environmental groups, and other interested
stakeholders. A primary purpose of this coordination is, to the extent
practicable, to reconcile the need for safe access routes with other
reasonable waterway uses such as construction and operation of
renewable energy facilities and other uses of the Pacific Ocean in the
study area.
B. Previous Port Access Route Studies: The approaches to San
Francisco, CA, were last studied in 2009, and the final results were
published in the Federal Register on June 20, 2011 (76 FR 35805). The
study was conducted to evaluate the continued applicability of and the
potential need for modifications to the vessel routing to help reduce
the risk of marine casualties and increase the efficiency of vessel
traffic in the study area. The PARS for the Strait of Juan de Fuca,
Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, Rosario Strait, the Strait of Georgia, and
adjacent waters was completed in November 2000, published in the
Federal Register on January 22, 2001 (66 FR 6514). The study was
conducted to evaluate the need for modifications to current vessel
routing and traffic management measures due to increase in maritime
activities. The PARS for the approaches to Los Angeles-Long Beach and
in the Santa Barbara Channel was last completed in June 2011, and the
final results were published in the Federal Register in November 2011
(76 FR 67395). The study was conducted to evaluate the continued
applicability of and the potential need for modifications to the
traffic separation schemes. However, there has never been a PARS
conducted for the entire pacific coast of the United States designed to
analyze all vessel traffic proceeding to and from all the ports and
transiting through the United States EEZ.
C. Need for a New Port Access Route Study: Given the current
forecasted development of aquaculture farms, offshore renewable energy,
commercial space ports/re-entry sites, expansion of marine sanctuaries,
development of ports supporting Panamax vessels, potential LNG ports
and additional increasing commercial traffic, the Coast Guard has
determined that a PACPARS needs to be conducted. This PARS will focus
on the coastwise shipping routes and near coastal users of the Pacific
Ocean between the coastal ports, and the approaches to coastal ports
within the EEZ. This PACPARS will help the Coast Guard determine what
impact, if any, the siting, construction and operation of new
developments may have on existing near coastal users of the Pacific
Ocean, and the potential impact of shipping to other maritime users. To
ensure safety of navigation, the Coast Guard will determine the impacts
of rerouting traffic, funneling traffic, and placement of structures
that may obstruct navigation. Some of the impacts may include increased
vessel traffic density, more restricted offshore vessel routing, fixed
navigation obstructions, underwater cable hazards, and economic
impacts. Analyzing the various impacts will require a thorough
understanding of the interrelationships of shipping, other commercial
and recreational uses, and port operations.
The goal of the PACPARS is to enhance navigational safety by
examining existing shipping routes and waterway uses, and, to the
extent practicable, reconciling the paramount right of navigation
within designated port access routes with other waterway uses such as
the development of aquaculture farms, offshore renewable energy,
commercial space ports/re-entry sites, marine sanctuaries, ports
supporting Panamax vessels, potential LNG ports and additional
commercial vessel traffic.
III. Information Requested
Timelines, Study Area, Focus, and Process: Coast Guard Pacific Area
Command will conduct a PACPARS and should take several years to
complete. The study area will encompass all vessel traffic patterns
approaching and departing major ports along the west coast to include
all current Traffic Separation Schemes and vessel maneuvering along the
Pacific Coast from Washington to California and all federal navigable
waters out to the EEZ. The PACPARS will focus on vessel traffic and
navigation mitigation techniques to improve and support safe navigation
transits within the major Pacific Coast Ports and the United States
EEZ.
As part of this study, we will analyze current and historical
vessel traffic, fishing vessel information, agency and stakeholder
experience in vessel traffic management, navigation, ship handling, and
effects of weather. We encourage you to participate in the study
process by submitting comments in response to this document.
We will publish the results of the PARS in the Federal Register. It
is possible that the study may validate existing vessel routing
measures and conclude that no changes are necessary. It is also
possible that the study may recommend one or more changes to enhance
navigational safety and the efficiency of vessel traffic. The
recommendations may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate
international agreements.
Possible Scope of the Recommendations: We are attempting to
determine the scope of any safety concerns associated with vessel
transits in the study area. The information gathered during the study
should help us identify concerns and mitigating solutions.
Considerations might include: (1) Maintain the current vessel routing
measures; (2) modify the existing traffic separation schemes; (3)
create one or more precautionary areas; (4) create one or more inshore
traffic zones; (5) establish area(s) to be avoided; (6) create deep-
draft routes; (7) establish Regulated Navigation Areas (RNA) with
specific vessel operating requirements to ensure safe navigation near
shallow water; (8) identify any other appropriate ships' routing
measures; (9) use this study for future decisions on routing measures
or other maritime traffic considerations and; (10) use this study to
inform other agencies concerning the impacts of their future endeavors.
Questions: To help us conduct the PARS, we request information that
will help answer the following questions, although comments on other
issues addressed in this document are also welcome. In responding to a
question, please explain your reasons for each answer and follow the
instructions under ``Public Participation and Request for Comments''
above.
[[Page 40793]]
(1) What navigational hazards do vessels operating in the study
area face? Please describe.
(2) Are there strains on the current vessel routing systems, such
as increasing traffic density associated with future growth? Please
describe.
(3) Are modifications to existing vessel routing measures needed to
address hazards and improve traffic efficiency in the study area? If
so, please describe.
(4) What costs and benefits are associated with the measures listed
as potential study considerations? What measures do you think are most
cost-effective?
(5) What impacts, both positive and negative, would changes to
existing routing measures or new routing measures have on the study
area?
(6) Where do you transit? Where are your transit routes? What
criteria are used in determining your transit routes?
(7) Do you currently experience competing uses for the same
waterway areas or transit routes? If so, please describe.
(8) Do you anticipate, or are you aware of, future competing uses
for the same waterway areas or transit routes? These could include
potential offshore energy projects, potential offshore aquaculture
projects, or otherwise.
(9) Are there other environmental, cultural, tribal, marine mammal
or other impacts which should be considered during this Port Access
Route Study?
IV. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be
submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions. If you submit comments, please include the docket number
for this notification of study and provide a reason for each suggestion
or recommendation.
We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted
without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will include any
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and
submissions in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System
of Records (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
Documents mentioned in this notification of study as being
available in the docket, and all public comments, will be in our online
docket at https://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following
that website's instructions.
Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up for email
alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted.
This document is published under the authority of 46 U.S.C.
70003(c)(1).
Dated: July 21, 2021.
Michael F. McAllister,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Pacific Area.
[FR Doc. 2021-15923 Filed 7-28-21; 8:45 am]
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